Installation view, City Arts Space
reclaimed silk garment, kikuyu grass seeds, cotton thread, 40x26x1cm
Reclaimed silk garment, cherry blossoms, cotton thread, 44x45x5cm
Symbiosis took place at the City of Perth's Art Space, featuring nine emerging artists mentored by established Perth artists, and was curated by Aisyah Sumito and Olivia Tartaglia as part of Propel's National Youth Weeks KickstART festival.
For Symbiosis Nixon (Mentored by Jess Day) has expanded into new territory, focusing on the lifeless dried plant form as a means to discuss femininity and fashion. Particularly interested in the slow movement, Nixon employed salvaged textiles, dormant and preserved plant matter to carefully craft delicate segments of garments. Specifically, a found silk dress, hand made in the 1950’s: A forgotten garment that was once lovingly made and then spent decades at the back of a wardrobe. Nixon is interested in the memory of making and the histories of this garment, by employing the stitch as a reparative act they hope to ‘heal’ and the garment, renewing its life in unconventional forms.
reclaimed silk garment, spanish moss, cotton thread, 40x26x1cm